Young and Rubicom, who boasts the slogan "Resist the Unusual", are owned by the WPP group, whose chief executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, told The Telegraph the advert was "unacceptable and appalling".

The London arm of Young and Rubicom said in a statement: "It has come to our attention that our agency in Argentina created an ad for the Argentine government that has deeply offended many people in the UK and around the world.

"We strongly condemn this work and have asked the Argentine government to pull the spot."

In reference to the adverts location, a Falklands war memorial in Port Stanley, they said: "While we don't believe it was ever the ad's creators to desecrate a war memorial, they behave in a manner that is unacceptable to our company.

"We are deeply regretful for the pain and suffering this ad has caused and apologise to the many who have been rightly disturbed by it, as we have."